(1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to ordnance and, more particularly, to rammers and to devices for transferring a rocket to a launcher.
(2) Description of the Related Art
A representative operating environment for the both the prior art and the present invention is shown in FIGS. 1-5 in which various elements are foreshortened and fragmentarily represented for illustrative convenience. FIGS. 2-6 show a rocket loading and unloading tool which incorporates the principles of the present invention and is indicated generally by the numeral 10. The tool, which will subsequently be described in detail, includes a head 11 and a handle 12. The operating environment includes a rocket 15 and a launcher 16 adapted to the rocket, the rocket being depicted within an interiorly cylindrical launching tube 17 of the launcher.
Rocket 15 has a nose end 20 and an aft end 21 and resembles a type of military rocket which has a nominal diameter of 2.75 inch (about 70 mm) diameter. Such a rocket typically has, at its aft end, features such as folding fins which are not involved in the present invention and, accordingly, are omitted from the present application.
Such a rocket corresponding to rocket 15 is loosely and slidably fitted to a tube, which corresponds to tube 17, for loading and discharging through an open forward end 22 of the tube. When loaded, the rocket extends substantially the length of the tube toward a generally open aft end 23 thereof.
Tube end 23 is associated with subsequently described devices for retaining the loaded rocket, igniting it, and subsequently releasing it. As will be described in detail, a rocket loading and unloading tool of the present invention is characterized by its cooperation with such a rocket and such devices. However, it will be apparent to one skilled in the ordnance art that the principles of present invention are applicable to other rocket and launcher structures and cooperative arrangements than those shown and described in the present application.
FIGS. 1, 2, 4, and 5 show a rocket stop 25 fixed within tube end 23 at one side thereof and protruding somewhat rearwardly therefrom. As can be visualized from FIG. 1, when a rocket 15 is loaded into tube 17 from end 22 thereof, stop 25 serves to terminate loading movement of the rocket when rocket end 21 engages the stop, the rocket then being in an initial loading position 26.
Transversely, stop 25 has a wing-like configuration when viewed forwardly of tube 17 from tube end 23 as in FIG. 4. This configuration serves no purpose with the depicted rocket 15, but was required for fins of other rockets to which a launcher, such as launcher 16, was adapted, this stop configuration being accommodated by the structure of tool 10 in a manner subsequently described.
The portion of rocket 15 just forward of its aft end 21 has a number of features associated with tool 10, the depicted features being somewhat schematically represented and best shown in FIGS. 2-4. This portion of the rocket is constructed of steel or other substantial material and serves as a wall 30 defining a converging-diverging nozzle 31 and terminating at end 21 as annular surface 32, which circumscribes the nozzle and is the region of the rocket engaging stop 25 on loading. A thin, disk-like end shield 34 covers surface 32 and the otherwise open end of nozzle 31. This shield is, typically, constructed of aluminum and is 0.005 inch (0.127 mm) thick.
Somewhat forwardly of surface 32, rocket 15 has an electrically conducting igniter contact band 40 extending around the rocket periphery and electrically isolated from wall 30 by an insulating layer 41. An igniter wire 43 extends generally centrally through the nozzle from a propulsion motor igniter, not shown, to a location axially aligned with band 40 and then turns, as shown in FIG. 3, for connection with this band by way of an insulator extending through wall 30. A plug-like weather seal 45, through which wire 43 extends, closes the nozzle forwardly of band 40 and is, typically, constructed of mylar material. Wall 30 has a detent engaging ring 47 which extends about the periphery of this wall at a location forwardly of band 40. Ring 47 may be formed between grooves in the wall associated with fins, not shown, of the rocket.
Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, it is seen that launcher 16 has a detent and contact mechanism 50 which is disposed at tube end 23 and extends along tube 17 diametrically oppositely of stop 25. This mechanism includes a blast paddle 51, a rocket detent 52, and an igniter contact 53 that cooperate with rocket 15. Since the present invention is only functionally related to mechanism 50, the internal construction thereof is not shown.
It is seen that blast paddle 51 has a pivot 55 disposed somewhat aft of tube 17 and oppositely thereof from stop 25. The paddle moves pivotally between a first position 56 extending parallel to the tube axis, as shown in FIG. 1, and a second position 57 shown in FIGS. 2-4 where the paddle extends transversely across the tube, aft of a loaded rocket, and generally toward stop 25. The length of the paddle is such that, in the second position, the paddle extends across the tube for about half its diameter. As seen in FIG. 3, the paddle is U-shaped with its concave side facing the tube in the second position. Mechanism 50 provides paddle 51 with an “over-center” action to retain the paddle in its position 56 or 57 when the paddle is moved into each of these positions, the paddle moving into its second position 57 with an audible “snap” for a purpose subsequently described.
Contact 53 and detent 52 are spaced successive distances forwardly of stop 25 such that, axially of tube 17, they align exactly and respectively with contact band 40 and detent ring 47 of a rocket 15 when the rocket is in a loaded position 60. In this position, which is shown in FIG. 2, rocket surface 32 is somewhat forward of stop 25 and paddle 51 is spaced a distance axially of tube 17 from rocket surface 32.
Mechanism 50 is constructed so that, when paddle 51 is in its FIG. 1 or first position 56, contact 53 and detent 52 are retracted from the interior of tube 17 so that a rocket 15 may move axially of tube 17 for loading, firing, or unloading. However, when paddle 51 is in its FIG. 2 or second position 57, contact 53 and detent 52 extend into tube 17. As a result, when a rocket is in loaded position 60 and the paddle is moved to this second position, contact 53 electrically engages band 40 for ignition of the rocket motor and detent 52 engages ring 47 to hold the rocket in the tube. When paddle 51 is subsequently returned to its first position, as by blast through nozzle 31 following motor ignition or by manual movement of the paddle for unloading the rocket, the rocket is freed for movement from tube 17.
It is apparent from the foregoing that, after a rocket 15 is loaded into tube 17 against stop 25 while paddle 51 is in its position 56, it is necessary to move the rocket forwardly into its final loaded position 60. To do this, paddle 51 is moved nearly into its transverse position 57, and the rocket is urged forwardly from the stop until position 60 is attained; whereupon the paddle snaps into its transverse position and detent 52 and contact 53 engage the rocket.
In the prior art, the just described movement of a rocket 15 from engagement with stop 25 precisely into loaded position 60 was carried out by the insertion of any convenient object, such as a dowel rod, though tube end 23 and past paddle 51 into engagement with rocket end surface 32. A similar operation was used in unloading an unfired rocket after moving the paddle into its first position; such an object being used against surface 32 to urge the rocket forwardly until enough of the rocket protruded from tube end 22 for grasping the rocket to withdraw it from the tube.
It is apparent from FIG. 2—when visualized with tool 10 of the present invention omitted—that, when an object such as a dowel rod is placed against surface 32 and forced forwardly against the rocket, the object is likely to slip from this surface and into nozzle 31 to, at least, pierce the thin end shield 34 and, probably, destroy the electrical continuity of igniter wire 43. If only the shield is damaged, it can be replaced, although not in the field. However, if the igniter continuity is broken, the entire rocket motor must be removed and disposed of.
The following four United States patents show representative prior art arrangements for positioning ordnance items in relation to generally tubular structures.
U.S. Pat. No. 311,974 issued 10 Feb. 1885 to Gatling and discloses a hand loading device having a trough which is received in a gun breech and along which a follower is motivated by a lever to correctly position a cartridge. The face of the follower is recessed to prevent it from touching the primer of the cartridge.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,326,789 issued 30 Dec. 1919 to Schneider and discloses a scoop on which rests a powder charge and which has a forward edge peripherally engaging a projectile. The scoop is inserted into a gun bore to carry the charge therein while ramming the projectile.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,120,785 issued 11 Feb. 1964 to Lorimer et al. for a folding ramming device. FIG. 2 shows a cam 31 on one rod-like guide member disposed in a gun breech to position a pair of such members for sliding an ammunition into the gun. FIG. 8 shows the device subsequently rotated and bearing a “ramming bracket” 59 configured to distribute “the ramming action substantially along a diameter of the ammunition to minimize tilting of the ammunition”.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,675,114 issued 7 Oct. 1997 to Thebault et al. for a loading/unloading device which carries charges into the chamber of a gun where a lever retains the charges. The device has an transversely arcuate “implement” insertable entirely into the chamber, with the charges and over this lever, for loading and unloading. The implement has a forward end disposed to stop the device by engagement of the periphery of a projectile forward of the charges. The implement may be made of a conductive material “to enable the evacuation of electrostatic charges.”